Integral antenna and radio system

[0001] This application is a continuation in part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/967,262, filed Sep. 28, 2001, titled INTEGRAL ANTENNA AND RADIO SYSTEM, now U.S. Pat. No. ______.

[0002] The present invention relates to a Planar Inverted F Antenna (PIFA) for wireless communication devices such as wireless modems, cellular telephones, personal digital assistants, etc. More particularly, the present invention relates to a radio module and an antenna combined into a single unit.

[0003] With the rapid progress in wireless communication technology and the ever-increasing emphasis for its expansion, wireless modems on laptop computers and other handheld radio devices will be a common feature. Recently, in the cellular communication industry, there has been an increasing emphasis on internal antennas instead of conventional external wire antennas. The concept of an internal antenna stems from the avoidance of a protruding external radiating element by the integration of the antenna into the device itself. Internal antennas have several advantageous features such as being less prone to external damage, a reduction in overall size of the handset, and easy portability. Among the various choices for internal antennas, a PIFA appears to have great promise. The PIFA is characterized by many distinguishing properties such as relative light weight, ease of adaptation and integration into the device chassis, moderate range of bandwidth, Omni-directional radiation patterns in orthogonal principal planes for vertical polarization, versatility for optimization, and multiple potential approaches for size reduction. The PIFA also finds useful applications in diversity schemes. Its sensitivity to both vertical and horizontal polarization is of immense practical importance in mobile cellular/RF data communication applications because of absence of the fixed antenna orientation as well as the multi-path propagation conditions. All these features render the PIFA to be a good choice as an internal antenna for mobile cellular/RF data communication applications.

[0004] One of the most difficult manufacturing and production issues for internal antennas is finding a method for combining the radio module and the antenna in a single unit. One method of combining a radio module and an antenna is by integrating the antenna within a radio module using the same manufacturing processes The Race for Bluetooth Integration Steams Ahead, Wireless Systems Design, October 2000. A ceramic chip antenna is bonded to the radio chip pads using special assembly techniques. These special assembly techniques make the integral unit expensive and, because the radio chip is small, the antenna performance is not optimal. Furthermore, the radio system designer has no flexibility of tuning the antenna to a particular application and using different radio-chip/antenna combinations because the design of the antenna and the chip is fixed.

[0005] A method of integrating a PIFA and a radio module into a single unit is disclosed. The present invention permits the PIFA to be removably secured on the top of a radio module. In one embodiment of the invention, a dielectric antenna carrier is removably mounted on and secured to the radio module. A radiating element or patch is then secured to the top of the frame. The patch has feed and shorting pins connected thereto and extending therefrom. The integrated radio/antenna system can be mounted on a PCB using standard surface-mount techniques with the feed and shorting pins soldered to the PCB. In another embodiment of the invention, a cover is removably secured to the carrier to retain the patch on the carrier. The cover has a window formed therein to permit the feed and shorting pins to be soldered to the PCB.

[0006] It is therefore a principal object of the invention to provide a single integrated radio/antenna system to reduce the amount of space required on a PCB.

[0007] A further object of the invention is to provide a radio/antenna system to reduce the amount of assembly handling and inventory levels in making final wireless communication devices.

[0008] Yet another object of the invention is to provide a patch that can be surface-mounted to the PCB.

[0009] A further object of the invention is to provide a flexible design of the radio/antenna system to facilitate different radio/antenna combinations.

[0010] Still another object of the invention is to provide an integral radio/antenna system that is simply configured, compact, cost-effective to manufacture, and easy to fabricate.

[0011] These and other objects will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

[0012] FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view illustrating an integral antenna and radio unit mounted;

[0013] FIG. 2 is a partially exploded perspective view illustrating the radio module and the antenna carrier assembly of FIG. 1;

[0014] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the radio/antenna unit of FIGS. 1 and 2 mounted on a PCB;

[0015] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of the radio/antenna system;

[0016] FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of the radio/antenna system of FIG. 4; and

[0017] FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along lines 6-6 in FIG. 4.

[0018] The numeral 10 refers to the first embodiment of an integral antenna and radio unit (FIGS. 1-3) of this invention which is ideally suited for use in wireless communication devices such as wireless modems, cellular telephones, personal digital assistants, etc. The wireless communication device includes a printed circuit board (PCB) 12 onto which the unit 10 is mounted. Unit 10 generally includes a radio module 14 and a PIFA module 16. Radio module 14 includes a chip 17 that is provided with a connector 18, such as ball array pads or the like attached in a conventional fashion. Radio module 14 also includes a shielding cover 20 having a pair of folding tabs 22 and 24 at opposite sides thereof.

[0019] Module 16 includes a carrier 26. The carrier 26 comprises a non-conductive element that prevents direct Radio Frequency conduction between the radio module 14 and the PIFA module 16. The carrier 26, for example, may comprise a suitable dielectric or insulating material, such as a high temperature dielectric material. While stray electromagnetic fields may create an indirect RF connection between radio module 14 and the PIFA module 16, the carrier 26 prevents a direct RF link between the radio module 14 and the PIFA module 16.

[0020] Carrier 26 is generally H-shaped and includes sides 28 and 30 having a web 32 extending therebetween which defines an upper recessed area 34 and a lower recessed area 36. The upper outer ends of sides 28 and 30 have ribs or shoulders 38 and 40 extending outwardly therefrom, respectively. The lower ends of sides 28 and 30 are each provided with a slot or opening 43 formed therein which are adapted to receive the tabs 22 and 24 therein, as will be described hereinafter.

[0021] The radiating patch 42 of PIFA module 16 is mounted on the upper surface of web 32 and is secured thereto by gluing, etc. Radiating patch 42 of PIFA module 16 may have a folded-over portion 44 extending from one end thereof in a perpendicular fashion to patch 42. A feed contact or pin 46 and a shorting contact or pin 48 extend downwardly from one end of the patch 42 for contact with the PCB 12. PIFA module 16 includes a cover 50 having a recessed portion 52 formed in its lower end, as seen in FIG. 1. Cover 50 includes slots 54 and 56 formed therein which are adapted to slidably receive the shoulders or ribs 38 and 40, respectively, to maintain cover 50 on the carrier 26.

[0022] As stated, the carrier 26 comprise a non-conductive element and is attached to the shielding cover 20 of radio module 14. The radio module 14 is positioned in the lower recessed area 36 of the carrier 26 with the carrier 26 being secured to the cover 20 by means of the folding tabs 22 and 24 extending through the openings 43 in the sides 28 and 30 of carrier 26, respectively. The carrier 26 could also be secured to the cover 20 by gluing, or by other methods of tabs. The patch 42 is then placed on the upper surface of the web 32 of carrier 26 and retained thereon by sliding the cover 50 over the carrier 26 so that the slots 54 and 56 receive the ribs or shoulders 38 and 40, respectively. Patch 42 could also be secured to the carrier by gluing or the like.

[0023] The integral unit 10 may be surface-mounted onto the PCB 12. The radio module 14 is supplied with connector 18, such as the ball grid array pads, on the radio module chip 17. The contacts 46 and 48 are soldered to the PCB 12.

[0024] In FIGS. 4-6, a modified form of the integral antenna and radio unit is illustrated and which is referred generally by the reference numeral 10. The integral antenna and radio unit 10 is adapted to be mounted on the PCB 12, as previously discussed. The radio module 14 is generally similar to radio module 14, as seen in FIGS. 1-3, except that the module 14 has a cut-out or indention 60 formed therein at each end thereof.

[0025] The numeral 62 refers to a non-conductive carrier. Carrier 62 is provided with inwardly protruding arcuate portions 64 at each of its ends which are received in the cut-outs 60 at each end of the module 14 to secure the carrier 62 to the module 14. As seen in FIG. 5, carrier 62 is provided with a recessed portion 66 formed therein which gives the carrier 62 some flexibility so that the arcuate portion 64 will adequately seat in the cut-out areas 60.

[0026] The numeral 68 refers to a patch which clips over the carrier 62 and includes a ground contact 70 and a feed contact 72. Each of the contacts 70 and 72 are provided with an inwardly extending arcuate portion 74 which are adapted to be received in the recessed area or indentation 76 formed in carrier 62. As seen in FIG. 5, patch 68 has a downwardly extending portion 78 which has an inwardly extending or protruding arcuate portion 80 which is adapted to be received in an indentation formed in the end of carrier 62 opposite to that of indentation 76. Thus, the patch 78 snaps into place on the carrier. By using appropriate spring-like materials and shapes, as shown, it is possible to provide a means of clipping both the carrier 62 and the patch 68 onto the radio module 14.

[0027] The integral antenna and radio unit 10 is mounted on the PCB 12 in the same fashion as that described in the embodiment of FIGS. 1-3. The contacts 70 and 72 are soldered to appropriate pads on the PCB 12 such as indicated by the reference numeral 82 in FIG. 6.

[0028] Thus it can be seen that a unique integral antenna and radio unit has been provided which accomplishes at least all of its stated objectives.